The Importance of Physical Activity in Weight Loss

It is said that weight loss is 80% what you eat and 20 % physical activity. This is famously called as the 80/20 rule ! I am no fitness expert nor do I have any certificates to deny any research that is scientifically proven , but what I have is my personal journey to share with all of you , who I know are just as frustrated and as confused as I was initially to start my weight loss regime and include physical activity . Believe me when I say from my personal experience exercise plays a very major role in weight loss .

I was just another normal person like all of you ! Exercise was like an impossible task for me to even begin with. Also I had read so many articles that exercise done early morning gives the best results . So it was like a nightmare for me to wake up early in the morning just for some physical activity.

Even though very early in my weight loss journey I had started with my diet , I couldn’t find the required motivation to start any form of physical activity. But Dance was something that I had always been doing from my childhood and that is how I included physical activity in my daily routine . Just put on some good music and start dancing ! It is as simple as that ! But start was all and is all that is required .

Physical activity can be anything which includes

Dance workout / Zumba Workout
Cardio Exercise
Cycling
Swimming
Playing any outdoor sport (like Badminton , Tennis , Basketball)
Running
Jogging
Walking
Yoga
Strength Training

These are some of the common forms of exercise that people incorporate in their daily routine . Now what is the first step that you need to overcome in order to start your weight loss journey ? Understand what kind of physical activity motivates you and what is something that you can enjoy and follow for a long term ? It can be dancing or yoga or walking or anything that suits your body and you enjoy doing.

I started with dancing ! Zumba workout is so effective when it comes to weight loss as it is a total body workout and at the same time burns a lot of calories. I would just put on some good music and dance for 30 minutes or so without even knowing the time as Dancing was something I enjoyed . Slowly I developed the habit of exercising at least three times in a week and the other two days I would just dance. I followed my instincts and did what my body accepted and that is why I could see results.

The most important principle when it comes to weight loss is understanding what your body accepts and what you can continue for a long term. If it is walking that excites you and you see that doing for a long term start with walking ! Do not get influenced by what other people say ,that this will not work out try something else ! If you keep getting influenced and listen to what others have to say you might actually never see results .

EXERCISE ROUTINE I FOLLOWED

Let me tell you what was the routine I followed and when did I actually start seeing results . I started with a normal Zumba workout three times in a week. Slowly I tried to incorporate cardio exercise in my daily routine ! I started with just 20 mins routines and then when I slowly started getting used to the exercise routine I increased to 30 mins in a day. So my normal week would be like –

Monday and Wednesday – Zumba Workout and Cardio

Tuesday , Thursday and Friday – Strength Training

This exercise routine I was only able to do in the evening as I was not a morning person. So yes exercise done in the morning is the most effective but you can exercise whenever you find the time as physical activity is very important in weight loss journey. This along with following a healthy diet helped me shed some weight in the initial few months. I also developed the habit of walking in the night after my dinner . I usually started walking after an hour of my dinner and tried walking for 45 mins at an average pace

30 mins of exercise in the evening and 45 mins of walking in the night was the amount of physical activity I tried to incorporate in my daily routine for 5 days in a week and the results are in front of you . Also do you remember a very important principle I had mentioned in my previous article ? Calories that you burn should be greater than the calories you consume ! And how is that going to be possible ? By following a strict exercise routine in any form that you prefer and enjoy doing and see the results for yourself. Just find the motivation that is stopping you from following an exercise routine and try to overcome it by looking at the bigger picture. Once you do that , you are good to go and there is no looking back .

At present exercise has become a part of my daily routine . Not one day goes by when I don’t exercise ! If I am very busy and don’t find time in the day I quickly just perform a 10 mins HIIT routine that burns more or equivalent amount of calories compared to the traditional exercise. Walking after dinner is the time I take out for myself in the day and that is how important exercise is to me ! Once you get accustomed to the routine you will also feel the same way about physical activity and understand its importance in your fitness journey.

Want to see my transformation picture and how physical activity helped me lose weight ?

This is something which worked for me not necessary the same routine will work for you . That is why understand what will work for you and try to incorporate the same in your weight loss journey ! Let me know if this works for you.

I have uploaded two routines on my Youtube channel –